Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Charlevoix has introduced a motion to establish specific status for seasonal workers, regardless of the economic region in which they live. Many promises have been made to workers in the past. For instance, the Prime Minister got front page coverage of his visit to Baie-Saint-Paul on June 11, 2003, for his reported commitment to solve the problem of the Sans-chemise.

In order to avoid leaving these workers high and dry with unfulfilled promises, does the Prime Minister intend to vote in favour of the motion on which we are going to vote this afternoon?

Mr. Speaker, programs have been implemented to solve the problem of the Sans-chemise and the unemployed. For instance, we already have made over $600 million available to the provincial government to resolve this problem.

We have made an additional $450 million available to the provincial governments for this purpose. We have also made another $77 million available to resolve this—

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister had a lot more to say at Baie-Saint-Paul on June 11, 2003. Now he does not want to stand up.

My question is for this heartless government, which has done everything possible to impoverish workers. Does it realize that seasonal workers are spiralling into poverty and one of the ways to put an end to that process is to acknowledge their specific status by voting in favour of the motion of the hon. member for Charlevoix?

Mr. Speaker, perhaps the hon. member did not understand: the Prime Minister has already created a task force to examine this situation and come up with long-term solutions to it. There are, moreover, men and women, members of all parties in this House, who are aware of the problem. We will be presenting long-term solutions. When recommendations are presented, I am prepared to—

Mr. Speaker, it turns out that the Prime Minister's so called 100 days of action have really been all hype and no substance. Let me be clear: 21 regurgitated bills; invoking closure in record time, even for a Liberal; and whipped votes on the gun registry in the first month.

What he has not done is resolve the crisis in the livestock industry which has dragged on for over 10 months. Could the Prime Minister tell us why he refuses to do his job and go to Washington?

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised the hon. member has finally asked a question on this, rather than asking all these other questions when he has had an opportunity. He has not done so, I am sure, because he knows the Prime Minister is heavily involved in this issue.

He has spoken with the President. We have spoken with the different provinces and with the premiers, who have also gone to Washington. We have a coordinated group within Canada that is working very hard on this issue and we are making progress.

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's legacy will be very clear. Let us run down the list: a crisis in national security, a crisis in infrastructure, a crisis in health care, a crisis in agriculture, and a crisis in the lumber industry. This is all pretty damning stuff.

They have all been bubbling for years under the former finance minister as he did his clear eye for the Grit guy leadership make-over.

When will the Prime Minister drop this pretense that he actually knows what he is doing?

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member forgot to mention the crisis in the opposition. In fact, the opposition is not addressing the issues that Canadians want them to address.

We have taken agriculture very seriously, the area that the member is responsible for. We have consulted with Canadians, we have worked with the cattle industry, and we have brought forward a program of close to $1 billion to help address their needs.

I have the honour to inform the House that a communication has been received as follows:

Government House

Ottawa

March 31, 2004

Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform you that the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, will proceed to the Senate chamber today, the 31st day of March, 2004, at 3:45 p.m., for the purpose of giving royal assent to certain bills.

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, before the vote I understood there was going to be a 15 minute bell. I guess I missed that idea, but I want you to know if I had been here, I would have voted against this awful bill.